Re: bone marrow decalcification

From:

Jan Minshew

Hi Cliff,

I'm afraid I must beg to differ. I have seen beautiful sections
of specimens that were decalcified using microwave
accelerated techniques and EDTA, formic acid solutions and others as
well. EDTA is indeed slower but it can be greatly accelerated in a
Laboratory Microwave using controlled temperatures and exposure
times. If time allows, its gentle action will produce specimens with
uncompromised morphology and antigenicity, even at the ultrastructure
level. There is an excellent chapter in Microwave Techniques and
Protocols (ISBN 0-89603-903-X) that details the EDTA procedure.
Organic and inorganic acids can also be used with excellent results. The
key is being able to control the environment of the specimen during the
procedure.